India release fishermen

Chamikara Weerasinghe

India released 94 out of 100 Sri Lankan fishermen held in their custody along with 20 boats for violating Indian Maritime Boundaries and fishing in their territorial waters following intervention by Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne.

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry sources yesterday said the fishermen would be brought back to the country once the Indian External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi issues expatriation orders. The fishermen were arrested in the seas off Andra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The Ministry spends over 2.5 million every year to bring fishermen who get arrested by Indian Coast Guards for crossing their maritime boundaries.